Persona Original One Shot Stories (New Year's Special-Happy 2020!)
by KirbyPwnz1234
Summary: These two chapters are entries based around Persona 3 & 4 that I wrote during my creative writing class last year, each centered around a specific theme that time. Each are one shot chapters and just for fun, so I don't plan on continuing them, but I still hope they're enjoyable to your extent. Just make sure to read the author's note before the story. Happy 2020 everybody!
1. P3: Kyoto's Shadow

**Kyoto's Shadow: Ying-Yang Days- A Persona 3 Based One Shot**

**Author's Note: Okay, before you even think about filing an angry review or any complaints, allow me to explain myself. If you have read my profile or took a look at the poll, I'll have you know that this is one of my short stories from last year and this one is based around Persona 3's Kyoto trip event. I had to change lots of major things add some irrelevant details just so I wouldn't be screwed over with a bad grade for plagiarism in which she can easily search it up and fail me. So, if you're a true Persona fan, you should be able to recognize the majority of the story and note the subtle yet dramatic changes in here although I did try my best to rewrite the entire scene in both ways. Just as Final Fantasy 7 Abridged Tifa would say "do me a solid", I'd like for you readers to humbly do me a solid and don't give me smack in the reviews! I've explained enough; YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!**

**Enjoy the story! P.S.- Don't f**k up on this one. Sorry, too much Final Fantasy 7 Abridged. No offense. But seriously though, hopefully you recognize the changes I had to made that time, so please no smack.**

**Theme: Thriller**

* * *

"Hey, Akira Yosoma. What are you dozing off for? We're here at the hotel, and everyone's gone in already," Mrs. Amagi said. "You've doing that lately, and way too often. Is something bothering you?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I'm fine," I replied. "I'll be going up ahead now." Hoisting up my belongings, I hurriedly dragged them all the way inside, and Mrs. Amagi got ahold of the rest of my stuff. Inside the grand yet old-fashioned traditional hotel lobby, I was amazed. This was my first time going on a school trip; I was in awe to even notice what's going on around me until I did.

"Woah, Akira," Junpei Liorine stopped me, wearing his usual indigo cap. "That was close. I know this is your first trip here, but you need to be more careful. After all, we're here to have some fun, so don't ruin it!"

"Okay, I get it," I chuckled, brushing off my blue hair in which my bangs covered my right eye; I didn't mind it at all. "Sorry about that, I suppose the others are waiting for us, huh?"

"Obviously, yeah," Junpei replied. "I'll handle his luggage for him, Mrs. Amagi."

"Why, thank you, Junpei. Don't forget- your rooms are on the second floor. I'll be tending to the girls as of right now. Stay out of trouble, okay? And head to the cafeteria once you're done." Our homeroom teacher left at this, and we followed suit to our assigned rooms on the second floor to unravel our stuff. Well, mostly mine.

It took us a little while, but we finally finished it all. The two of us then went to the cafeteria, as instructed to do so. When we arrived there, a couple of students were present, almost all of them that I knew. Reminds me of the time that I transferred here a little while ago, and I didn't talk to anyone else on the first day; Junpei was the first friend I made, and he's the wild guy but also sincere in certain aspects.

We're also members in a club secretly called SOULS (Specialized Operative Universal Liberation Squad), a secret club that deals with the strange phenomenon series that have occurred in our hometown lately by investigating the Labyrinth Tower known as the Spiral, where we fight strange creatures called Shadows using special powers that each of us possess to slay them. Our main objective is to figure out the mystery behind the Spiral and why it appears during a time that is invisible to everyone but certain people. To do that, we've been informed of several locations that was involved with those incidents- we got nothing so far.

This time, it was all going to change…

"Guys, over here," It was Tatsumi Koshimo calling out to us, a member of SOULS. We went over to him and sat down in front of the trays with food. With him was Yosuke Higurashi, too. "Took you long enough for lunch; spacing out as usual, Akira?"

"Let's not mention that," I sweatdropped. "So, what's on the agenda for the week? We haven't encountered another Shadow in a while, and we still haven't figured out Spiral's true purpose yet and its link to the past incidents. Got any leads so far?"

"At the moment, no," Yosuke sighed, stuffing sushi in his mouth. "But it's no use worrying too much about it. If something does comes up, we'll handle it as always. Right now, let's just relax and have some fun in Kyoto! Oh, you guys haven't read your fortune cookies yet!"

Junpei quickly cracked his open, eager to see what his fortune could be. "You will most likely gain your true desires one day." He seemed confused, but I guess he had a different thought in mind. "What does yours say, Akira?"

"Oh, right," I stuttered while cracking the cookie and reading the fortune on the paper strip.

_The answer to your questions will be answered at the time you are thrown into a thriller situation by the butterfly effect; only then will you discover the key to solving it all._

"Huh? What does that mean?" Tatsumi asked.

"Who cares?" Junpei shrugged. "After all, it's not like anything will happen on this trip anyways, what's there to worry about?"

Maybe he's right. It is a school trip, and the only place the incidents are occurring are at Inaba; I doubt any other place was involved in this. But that fortune I had… it bugged me a lot. I've read thrillers a lot before, but in that sense, it's vague as to how it could actually happen. Truth be told, if it was talking about our school trip, then there's no doubt something will happen later on. I guess I'm overreacting.

"I suppose you're right, I mean, what's the worst that could happen to us on this trip?" Yosuke grinned. "After this, how about we check out some of the areas in Kyoto? I have to get something for Ken too."

"Agreed," We all said. After lunch was when the fun really began, and that's how it was for the rest of the few days that we spent in Kyoto: sight-seeing, taking photos, doing crazy stunts and getting away with it- anything you can think of to do there. We did it all.

Nothing major happened those few days that passed by. I was walking around the hotel by myself when I ran into Junpei, who seemed excited about something. "Hey Akira, we're gonna hit the hot springs today- just the four of us boys together, having some bro time. Wanna join in?"

"Sure, why not?" I replied.

"All right, bro! Make it quick, though," Junpei grinned as if he's scheming something. I shrugged it off as I went to get ready for the hot springs.

* * *

**Hot Springs**

I felt the burning heat of the waters massage my skin as I continued to soak in the vapor steam from the water. The springs was indeed huge, and it was a perfect time to go while the moon is out. Junpei, Tatsumi, and Yosuke were with me too, as they said they would be. We spent our time having our bro moments together and bonding, the usual stuff; don't compare us to the girls, though. We had a good time, and our worries eventually evaporated.

Yosuke spoke first. "Hey, did you know that this hot spring is open to boys and girls at different times?"

"Yeah, now that you mentioned it, this is a huge mixed bath, after all. Really strange that we're the only boys in here, though," Tatsumi replied. "That reminds me, if that's true, does that mean that the girls could come in at any given time?"

"Ah, don't worry," Junpei said. "I made sure that we got the hot springs all to ourselves in favor of the boys by splattering lots of signs on the doors; not a single girl would dare step foot in boy's territory. Great idea, huh? That way, we can easily dodge the cliché bullet and get off that easy."

"Talk about an overdose," I sweatdropped. "Still, better safe than sorry. Somehow, I have my doubts that'll work at the same time. Besides, isn't that against the policies here?"

"Not at all, man. The only people allowed in here are the boys now, so that shouldn't be an issue anyway. I mean, how would they get in here without looking at the signs first? I also made sure to let the staff know that we're hogging the springs for the whole night for boys only. See? What's there to worry about now?" On cue, the sliding door opens wide, but since we were on the other side of the rock in the middle, we couldn't see who.

"Eh, it's probably the rest of the boys coming in for the fun; maybe the staff members letting us know our time is up or there was a change of plans," Junpei shrugged once again. "Nothing to worry about, right?"

"Wow! The hot springs are huge; I've never been to one before!" A female voice ranged. Wait, what? That's what really changed the entire scene here. We'd recognized that voice anywhere. It was Noira Matasame, the female member of SOULS. "Ritsu! Lindzae! Hurry up!" This isn't good- there were two other female members with her as well! This arrested our attention.

"Ooh, the girls have arrived- ack!" Yosuke was dunked into the water by Junpei quickly before he did anything else stupid.

"Quiet, man!" Junpei whispered. "Do you have a death wish?!" He cautiously let Yosuke out of the water without him making any noise.

"Huh? Did you guys hear something?" Noira asked. I could feel my heart pumping with adrenaline like I was having a heart attack.

"Relax, guys. It's just those three here, we can just tell them off that it's still our property while we still have the chance," Tatsumi calmly spoke. "It'll just be a misunderstanding, after all."

"What's the matter, Noira? Is there something bothering you?" I heard another female voice step in- it was the head of SOULS herself, Mikuru Hataranae. "Our time in the springs has come and you're already upset about something?"

Tatsumi's expression had dropped to the look of fear itself. "Mikuru's here too? Forget everything I said- this is bad. All the other girls are no problem, but her? A misunderstanding won't cut it for her!"

"Hold the phone! That's impossible," Junpei countered while whispering. "There's no way they should be here in the first place at all; I booked everything, I did everything to make sure we dodge this kind of scenario bullet before the trigger is even pulled! I even splattered the signs on the door there, and yet they have the nerve to walk in here? We got here before them, and it's nowhere near our expiring time at all, so it's kinda funny if you think about it."

"But why did the girls walk in here regardless of the signs Junpei planted? We were here for only half an hour; the expiration time is two hours exactly!" Yosuke whispered. "Either way, they can't pin the blame on us for all of this, right?! That's against the rules anyways!"

Tatsumi shook his head. "Rules and policies don't matter once she's around; this is Mikuru we're talking about. And we need to get out of here fast, because if we're caught by her, she'll… (Gulps)…"

"She'll what?" I asked.

"Execute us." He spat out. "That's right, on the spot too!"

"WHAT?!" We gasped silently. I did not see that one coming; he must be over exaggerating, right?

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I heard something," Noira said. "Lindzae, could you check over there, behind the rock?"

"Why do I have to-? Oh… fine, I'll do it," She shyly replied. "Just give me a moment." In that allotted time, we boys huddled together for a plan to escape, with so little time to spare for the fact that it can fall apart at any given second coming.

"Okay, forget the signs and junk, we need to find the nearest hiding place for all of us and wait it out until they're out of range. Our other option, luckily, there's the back entrance over there, so we can either get there and call the rest of the boys to back us up to get rid of the evidence that we were here for whatever reason," Tatsumi speculated quickly. "First, we have to outrun Lindzae before that."

"All right, I'm going now to check," She sighs. "I hope it's not a ghost…"

"Akira, you take the lead," Yosuke demanded. "You're a great leader in the investigations of Spiral, so it's fair you take that role."

"Okay, leave it to me," I answered.

"We've got only one shot at this; consider this a failure if we get caught. No man should be left behind. Let's do this." We placed our hands in the middle and broke it off. Our stealth mission begins right now. I could feel my heart pumping faster and faster, my body was mentally petrified, and my conscience had officially left the station, running around in pieces. However, my determination was unshakable, the only force that made me take those first silent steps into our salvation or doom. The game is on.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" Lindzae called out from the side, her voice grew closer with every step she took and she was starting to become visible in our range. On my command, I quietly trekked through the steamy waters with the boys behind me and quickly. A little sloshing noise rippled, but I don't think it was loud enough, and we managed to reach the side of the great rock; the other girls weren't there on the side, luckily. We stood still to anticipate their next move.

"Huh, I don't see anything there," Lindzae says to the other girls. I can tell that she went back even without looking. "You're being delusional, Noira. Who would still be here anyways other than the boys? Hold on… could it be that we walked in on the boy's time?"

"Is that so? I suppose that explains the signs attached on the doors, saying that the boy's time is up and marked with a black marker- all of them, in fact," Ritsu said robotically; she is a cyborg, after all. "Was that a mistake to begin with?"

"Not at all," Mikuru answered. "If any of the boys are still around past their time limit, and if it's our boys, I'll make sure to personally execute them, especially Tatsumi."

"No way… I knew something was fishy," Junpei growled. "Someone rigged my signs while we were still in here! That's why they came in here regardless?!"

"Oh no, it's just as I thought- it was a trap all along!" Tatsumi silently gasped. "We were set up, and that means we're done for if we get caught!" Now the pressure's definitely on. I thought it could be a simple misunderstanding, but I was wrong to think that.

My fear intensified upon hearing Noira speak. "Yeah, I'm not lying! I did hear something around here! I'll just prove it right now; I'll check the other side then!" I heard the splashing water start to echo.

"Oh, god. Everyone, fall back, but silently. Have your backs against the rock just in case," I whispered. Forced back from a dead end, we quickly headed back to the other side of the rock, but Yosuke went ahead to peer to the side and check if the coast is clear.

He shook his head no. "Not a chance. Mikuru's over there too along with Lindzae and Ritsu," Yosuke whispered.

"I swear I heard something here," Noira sighed; luckily, the steam clouded a bit of her eyesight range, and the moisture cloaked us. "Ritsu, can you detect if anyone's there?"

"Because of the heat and moisture, my sensors are disabled," Ritsu answered.

"Then, how about we all look together?" Mikuru suggested. "That way, if it's a boy in our group, we can execute them for breaking the rules. After all, four's better than one." I can feel it- our doom was impending us, slowly chipping away at our mentality. The footsteps of the two girls confirmed it very much.

"Akira, Mikuru and Lindzae are heading this way," Yosuke warned us. "So are the other girls from the other side!" It was official- we are doomed; the other girl's steps matched in rhythm with Mikuru and Lindzae. They had us cornered unwittingly, but once they catch sight of us, it won't be by accident anymore.

"Everyone, back against the rock now," I ordered; we desperately tried to get out of the open space, and now we're literally cornered. There's no way we could just step out of the springs and hide now without risking making noises. And trying to hide underwater in a hot springs is just asking for a death wish; it's extremely dangerous if your skin is sensitive.

"At this rate, it won't be long before we get the axe," Tatsumi gulped. "Is there really nowhere else to hide? Is it over?"

I thought so too. It was like my heart wanted to commit suicide, but my conscience told it not to; the heart is treacherous, after all. Pressing my back against the rock, I glanced over to the little inlet spot, and for some reason that grabbed my attention. An idea spurred in my head- it's a gamble, but I hope it works.

So, quickly and silently getting the boy's attention, I whispered to them, "Not yet, guys. That opening in the rock, let's try to hide in there. It's our only option left in this situation; we need to swim to there now!"

"I hope it works, Akira," Yosuke said before silently descending into the water. I did the same as well, and luckily, it was spacious enough for us to freely swim without being spotted. I resurfaced in the exact spot and circle of the opening with everyone else. The steam was really strong in this little spot, and I think I could get a heat stroke from this.

"Hey guys, there's an opening inside the rock," Tatsumi said, pointing to an unveiled hole in the wall on the rock. "I think we can hide in there until they're gone."

"Are you sure it's safe in there?" Junpei asked.

"It's either that or them," I told him.

"Hey, let's check out that opening over there in the rock," Noira suggested at a cliché cue.

"On second thought, it beats execution," Junpei retracted his words. "I'm outta here." After Junpei, Yosuke, and Tatsumi swam right into the hole, I was the last to enter inside after confirming that the girls are coming our way. It was a bit tough, but I managed to slip inside before they could ever notice a thing.

What I didn't realize was that inside the entrance was a pitfall waiting for us to fall in. A long drop it was, shrouded in pitch black darkness, almost like the taste of what's death like for those who've died; I thought I was going to join the grave too. Or so I thought…

My mind suddenly warps to the present swing of things, as if nothing happened in that gap. Looking around me, I discovered the three boys and me in a pool of water unscathed and alive. The area itself was some sort of secret base that was meant to never be discovered by humans at all… but this feeling tells me it meant only ordinary humans can't be here; only special ones allowed. We're special.

"Ugh, where are we?" Junpei groaned as he struggled to get up from the pool. "Man, I did not see this coming." The rest of the boys got up from the pool, glancing around the area that was eerie green and shady.

"Guys, is it me or does this scenery reminds you of what it looks like during the Shadow Hour?" Yosuke nervously asked. I glared around me- he wasn't wrong there. It bore that same chill feeling as it was during our investigation time in Spiral. It was the feeling of death- its main theme.

"Hey, look over there," Tatsumi walked over further, but stopped halfway upon noticing something. "Do you hear something, guys?" Silence filled the room. All I heard was a faint crawling noise switch on and off. I'm pretty sure that it's nothing-

"RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" We were jumpscared by a being that bears the resemblance of a scrapped animatronic; it was like it had devoured someone, or rather slaughtered them.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" We all screamed and jumped back right into the pool of water. Well, everyone except me. I've seen way too many horror movies to be scared by this. I knew for a fact that it was what we call those beings a Shadow, but this was no ordinary Shadow, though. This one is part of the 14 elite shadows known as the Arcanic Shadows, the very ones we have to take down that were causing the incidents and put an end to the Spiral Tower.

"An Arcanic Shadow?! But it's not even the Shadow Hour at all!" Yosuke yelled. "How is it still active on regular time?!"

"This is bad! We don't have our weapons with us, and we're barely wearing anything but the towels on my bodies!" Tatsumi pointed out. "How are we supposed to take it down now?!" The shadow started walking towards us, taunting and intimidating us as to incite mental fear and shutdown. Then, it lunged for the jumpscare of death, directly at me.

"Akira! Look out!" Junpei yelled. The shadow was about this close in to getting me, and just when it was about to get me-

"SMACK!" It found itself against the wall in just mere seconds flat by a single slap. By me.

"Sorry. Live strong," I said bluntly and in a blank tone; the shadow disappeared instantly without putting much of a fight. Problem solved.

"What?! How did you do that?!" The boys shouted in shock and confusion. I shrugged.

"Man, you are full of surprises, I really don't get how you work," Yosuke sweatdrops. "It's kinda amazing. Anyways, with that thing gone, we should get out of here while we can; if this area is affected, then we're screwed if more shadows came our way."

"I agree, there's no way we'd be able to- huh? What's this?" I found from where the shadow was defeated a page of a notebook paper. I picked it up, and it looked like that fortune strip I had a few days ago. But there was more to it.

* * *

_The answer to your questions will be answered at the time you are thrown into a thriller situation by the butterfly effect; only then will you discover the key to solving it all._

_Yes, you wish to seek the connection between Kyoto and the Spiral. It all started with an experiment, an experiment that was supposed to revolutionize the entire world at its will. The leader had good intentions when he discovered the shadow's existence. He kept the mass of matter harbored in safe-keeping and carefully worked on it very diligently; Shadows are the dark manifestations of a person's subconscious inside them, and all that are suppressed inside is reflected in the Spiral. Knowing this, Professor Iris searched for solutions in reverting the suppressed shadows into light, hopefully changing people's thinking and actions in the process._

_It was all going as planned… but that came to an end at once- for there was a traitor amongst them that wanted to use the shadows for their own gains. And so, this person did the unthinkable and riled up the shadows and breaking them out in thinking they could harbor their power. That was foolish of them- the shadows are scattered across the entirety of Japan, causing the stirs of incidents that are known by a select few- that's you._

_Thanks to the Professor's quick thinking and results of the experiment, he devised a way for the 14th shadows made by the scattering to be hunted down- Children who wields the power of the Virtues. Only those with that power can destroy the shadows, as they have made a firm resolution within themselves from facing their own hardships head-on._

_Listen very closely, the hour of despair draws ever near to your impending extinction of your entire human race; if the purge continues like this, then all of humankind will fall at the hands of death. Where you are right now is the very birth place of the 14 Arcanic Shadows that stirred all of the chaos before- this is Kyoto's Dark Shadow, the birth of the fall. The Spiral is the calling of the one who will bring doom; the harbinger will stand to confirm it all, and then once she appears, your efforts matter not- death awaits you. Death is immortal at the very moment._

_That is why the moment the man made by god devoured the forbidden fruit of knowledge with the wife who will bear seed to offspring gave birth to children with the imperfect sin of death. Had not they've let the serpent deceive them, this fate should've been easily avoided; they did not, and they've sealed the fates of their innocent future children of all generations, dooming everyone's lives forever. That one sin multiplied into many others, to millions of millions of sins. That is how the Seven Deadly Sins were born. Humans are forced to display those sins daily because of that defect they were cursed with unknowingly, and as a result, these bad things are considered to be normal in everyday life, no matter how bad the sin committed should be. All humans sin, even if the majority haven't done anything sinful to God. This is the result of the first human couple's mistakes- it was all caused by the angel known to be the Devil, who told the first lie- that's why lies exist. That is the true origin of the state called Death._

_Here, these sins are the motivation for the shadows, each impaired with one of the seven deadly sins. And now, the greatest defect that caused it all will soon dominate over mankind with the incantation of the Avatar of Death. However, the truth about Death that is clouded so often is that ironically, death itself will die. Through a provision, God has given humans the ability to inherit his own qualities, the opposite of the deadly sins. Humans that take a firm stand against what's truly wrong are the only means of breaking the spirit of this corrupted world until his day has come to put an end to this. As of now, you wielders of the Heavenly Virtues must take a stand against Death itself in the time of your promotion from your schools, and prevent the doom of mankind to occur temporarily._

_It may seem impossible to defeat death, but even death is no match for true life from above. You all reflect those qualities; you must defend the innocent humans at all costs by destroying the remaining shadows and reach the top of Spiral at the final Despair Hour. If not, then all there will be is… despair…_

* * *

"So that's what's going on," Junpei spoke. "Akira, your fortune cookie was actually the key to solving the mystery after all! All that had to happen was for these specific event to occur. Now it's clear what we have to do. First, let's get out of here."

"Agreed, but we better find a much dryer exit if we want to preserve this paper here," Tatsumi said. "Let's hope that we don't end up near the girls." A few more shadows came crawling, so we eventually had to bail. In the end, we managed to kill two birds with one stone, ironically speaking; we got out of the base and managed to escape from the hot springs unnoticed and called it a night.

* * *

**Final Day**

"It's a good thing we managed to escape," Tatsumi sighed in relief. "Otherwise, we'll never been able to survive their execution." It was the last day of the school trip, and the boys and I sat upon a bench and waited for the girls to finish.

"I guess the school trip was definitely interesting, mostly because of what happened last night," Junpei grinned.

"Shh, yeah, we know," Yosuke whispered. "Keep it down, here they come!" The moment of suspense arrives in the form of human girls. It looked like nothing was bothering them, I guess they haven't suspected anything from us for now.

Noira seemed casually optimistic. "Oh hey, guys. What are you guys doing? You planning some sort of secret conspiracy or something?"

"Actually, we did find something very crucial, but I think we should talk about it once we get home, you know," I answered.

"Oh, I see," Ritsu replied robotically. "We shall consult Mikuru about this once we return home then."

"By the way, what were you talking about here before we got here?" Noira asked, making our hearts skip more beats than it shouldn't have. "You all look awfully suspicious, if you ask me."

I was about to say something, but luckily Junpei managed to deflect the conversation. "Oh that? We're just having a little… um, reflection meeting. Yeah, that's it."

"Really? What are you guys reflecting on?"

"Nothing specifically," He answers. "But it was mainly about that killer card game we had last night, am I right guys?!"

"You know it, boy!" I acted along with him, sounding pretty convincing in my opinion. "Who's up for round 2 next time?" Tatsumi and Yosuke immediately picked up on the act and played along as well.

The girls looked at each other in confusion, but it looks like they bought the act we pulled off. "Hmm, okay then," Lindzae shrugged. "It's a shame you missed out on the hot springs yesterday, but I guess you all were having a good time to even realize it. Oh well."

"Anyways, we better get going now," Noira smiled. "Our train arrives in ten minutes or so. Don't stay too long, okay?" With those words, Noira and Lindzae went ahead out of the hotel doors, but Ritsu stared at me.

"You defeated an Arcanic Shadow, correct? I'm not entirely sure how you located it, but I'm glad you're okay. Be careful in the future, Akira." Ritsu smiled and left the hotel as well. Mikuru arrived as well.

"Hope you had fun in Kyoto, boys. Once we get home, we'll have to go the Spiral sometime later, so be prepared." She left the room with those words as well. Our bodies turned into jelly in the bones once the girls were gone, it was like breathing fresh air once again.

"Thank god," Yosuke sighed. "I don't think they suspect us for last night at all. Ritsu knew we defeated a shadow, but it doesn't look like she knew how we found it. Hey, thanks for saving us back there, Akira."

"Eh, I really didn't do much, but we should all thank each other as well," I smiled. "By the way, Tatsumi. From the way you said about the execution thing, it sounded a lot like you knew about it. Out of curiosity, what would've been the execution if we did get caught?"

Tatsumi seemed paralyzed by trauma and fear. "Trust me, you don't wanna know. After all, the anticipation of your death is worse than your death itself."

"Okay then."

"Listen, guys," Junpei said seriously to us. "No one must ever speak about what happened last night except the fact that we found the shadow and the secrets behind it. How we found must never leak out to the girls, not even to tell another soul- ever."

"Agreed. Let's make a vow, boys." Yosuke put his hand forward, and so did we as well. "None of us that had survived last night must ever speak of the incident ever again. If we get questioned, deny, deny, deny. Lie if we must do so- don't let any of the girls find out for as long as we live." That was our vow.

"This is our secret, guys. We better be prepared to take it to the grave, where we will eventually be going someday. Guard this secret with your own lives!" Tatsumi ordered.

And that was the secret behind Kyoto- who would've guessed that the answers to our questions were solved in a thriller/stealth situation that we were thrown into and in a place where no one would ever look? Thus ends our school trip at Kyoto; crazy, huh? I guess all's well that end well here.

Somehow, I find those words to be very ironic. Maybe I'm just overthinking here… or does it mean something else? I can't help but feel that we found the answer rather too easily… what's the explanation in that?


	2. P4: Beyond the Fog

**Beyond the Fog- A Persona 4 Based One Shot Story**

**Author's Note: Take note that this is although based around Persona 4, the concept is entirely original in terms of the canon plot and whatsoever that you'll discover on your own. I don't own anybody but the characters you've never heard of. So do me a solid once again and don't file pointless complaints about the things I had just explained! Once again, these are just one shot stories I made during last year. Again, if you are a true Persona fan, well, you know the drill. Nonetheless, I still hope it's good enough for you guys.**

**Enjoy the story! P.S- Again, don't f**k up now, y'all hear me? Sorry, still hooked to abridged Barrett. **

**Subject Theme: Inspiration and Motivation**

* * *

"W-what is this…?" A blue room filled my area of vision, resembling much of a castle's throne room, where all was decorated with blue. I found myself sitting in one as well. So marvelous, I'd say. In front of me were two figures; the one sitting in the middle throne was instead a man who looks old but strong and healthy, wearing a black and white suit and white gloves. Thinning white hair and a ridiculously long nose that I've never seen before, adding to that, he also kept grinning and smiling like his face was frozen or something.

"Greetings. Welcome to the Velvet Room," The geezer warmly said. He doesn't seem like a bad person, though. "Do not be alarmed, for this place exist between time and matter itself. I have summoned you in your dreams. My name is Igor- pleased to make your acquaintance, Sora Mondaiji. Oh, and before I forget, let me introduce you to my assistant here."

To my right, the other figure was now clear. It was a girl who looked about my age; silver long hair, yellow eyes, red lipstick, and a blue dress that made me think of her as a princess, which put me on edge. It was a sleeveless top that carried her breasts together, locked with a blue jewel in the line of her cleavage. Her naked legs were crossed as she dangled her blue "velvet" high heels with one of them almost falling off and on at her will, her arms were covered in silk blue gloves while holding a "velvet" book, and she had on the nicest smile. "Hello, Sora. I'm Kira. Nice to meet you. I shall assist you on your task at hand from now on."

"Task?" I asked. "You mean something like my search for life's answers or what?"

"Exactly- your own personal quest," Igor answered. "I am quite surprised, to be honest. You are the first resident that is ever a Shadow. It's quite amazing that you developed your own personality, something no normal Shadow could ever do. You must be quite special in that regard." I look down as those words were mentioned.

It's the truth that I received about myself- I am a Shadow. A being made from the deepest parts of the human heart is what I am. Shadows are wild and deadly, yet I am not like them if I'm the same species as they are. I didn't exist- then I did. No memories, not a single one whatsoever. I was an empty shell of nothingness until given them. What am I to the world of humans? A monster; humans are scared, so I don't blame them. But I have a human form when I popped into existence. So why do I exist? Why did I chase after the truth if I was only going to be devoid in the end? These thoughts swirl around a lot after I found out the truth about myself.

"Feeling down? That is natural after finding out the truth that you've been seeking daily," Igor spoke. "Shadows are the result of distorted darkness of hearts after all. However, it's certainly unusual for a Shadow to develop its own will. Perhaps this is a sign… but nonetheless, it's our duty to guide all guests on the right path in their life history. Your quest is halfway done."

"What do you mean?" I sighed. "I thought I found everything I wanted, even if it was the hard truth, and I still accepted it."

Kira gives her side of the story. "Sora, it's true that you've found the answers to your questions, but the reason we say that is because you're not satisfied with the answers that you seek- a huge part of you speaks that truth." Kira walks over to me and pokes at my chest with her finger, causing a warm glow to shine from it. She gently picks the light from my chest and it floated above her hand.

"This ball of light represents the divided conflict between yourself, one that you're not conscious of. A sign of inner struggle and despair, one made with nothing but the void that you were born with. Half is satisfied, the other is restless. At this rate, your heart will be divided in twain because of the pain you feel inside yourself." Kira gently places the light back into my chest before returning to her seat.

"I… I don't understand…"

"It's okay if you don't fully grasp the problem at hand for now, but one day you will. As of now, your efforts are what saved the Earth from the hands of Zexhinaze. We believe that you should take this time to fill in the void that still exist in your heart, of course, the one that you willfully created." Igor stated.

"Fill the void…" I slowly repeated. "I don't know… fill it with what?" Igor motions Kira for an order, and she obeys.

"Aw, looks like someone needs a hug," Kira said as she did exactly what she said to me. I felt fuzzy and paralyzed with embarrassment; I felt her hand rummaging through my hair as she kept me locked against her breasts like a mother hugging her child. "It's gonna be all right, Sora." After that, she lets me go, giving me room to breathe. Not so sure I can tell, but it felt like a bit of the uneasiness has taken a side. Kira smiled at me.

"Did you feel it, Sora?" Kira asked me. "That was a bit of your emptiness being filled. Through times in your journey, bonds are formed through little moments such as when I gave you a hug from my bosom like a mother would hug her children. Those sparks add to the neutral void in one's life, for good and for bad. It gives humans purpose in life, and it affects the way they view life altogether. You see your quest now? It's finding your purpose, your inspiration."

"Kira is right. One's motivation is because of their view of inspiration," Igor adds to that. "If you can find that, your heart will be free from the void that makes up half of it like divided kingdoms at war; you must form those sides to be one whole piece again."

"How do I do that? Where can I find it?" I asked.

"That's where you must search for those answers yourself, young Sora. Your motivation and purpose comes from inspiration, one that you choose to let it motivate you. We will only act in support of your actions and choices. Now then, it seems that our time with you is up," Igor smiled. "We will meet again, but it will be out of your free will; any other times will occur if it's urgent. I present to you the Velvet Key." A blue flame appeared in my hand, resembling a fancy key that I've never seen before.

"Um, thank you very much," I replied. I wanted to call him the Nose, but that seemed rude on our first visit, so I'll leave it at that until later.

"No problem. If you need anything, Kira here will take over for me; she'll be your personal guide through your search as well. Don't be shy to ask, I have a feeling you two will get along quite well in the future days ahead of us. For now, I wish you luck in finding your purpose. Till we meet again, Sora Mondaiji the Shadow of Hope…" Igor chuckled.

"I also wish you the best of luck, Sora," Kira gently smooched me on the cheek. "Take care, okay?" My eyelids begin to feel heavy, my heart is feeling filled; I felt myself collapse from the seat and into Kira's arms before I black out into the void that I see every day in my dreams…

I woke up the next day lying in my bed. Everything I had just envisioned seemed to be a dream, but those words linger in my head still. I sighed as I got up from the bed for my daily routine as per usual. I had lived by myself anyways, and I didn't mind the loneliness anyways.

Even though I'm a Shadow, I have my own preferences like a normal human does for everything. The food was always good, but it lacked something in that regard. Maybe my mood is affecting me. Besides that, I always go to school since I am a teenager right now. But it's summer vacation, so I was on my own here.

Spending the time was really nerve-wrecking for me, especially when I don't know what to do about my current quest. And so a few weeks have passed since I had that dream. I still haven't grasped the full concept of inspiration and purpose yet, let alone how to find it. I don't have any connections to any particular human they call a friend; I doubt anyone would want to be friends with me.

Just looking at them makes me feel insignificant in the world as someone who never grew up with those things in the first place. I get more depressed that way, thinking about how it would be nice to at least be a Shadow who can live the same way as a human does. But I never will… how saddening it is. I've heard that people are given names at their birth from their parents, which makes me wonder…

Sora Mondaiji… why was I given that name or who gave me my own name to identify myself? Not knowing makes me feel more confused and worried. Maybe it's pointless to find a purpose in that; so I went outside to clear my head, something that I don't usually do on a daily basis.

The town was lively as expected in summer. With that many kids out from school, they get the chance to do whatever they want to then. This was my first summer, so I had no idea what to do for fun. I glanced around the streets to see many familiar students in my class walk by, excited about their grand plan for the vacation ahead of them. I'm sure they don't recognize me anyway. I excel in every subject I had, but I was just thinking logically those times.

As I continued walking, I noticed a huge tree that was standing in the massive grassland park that I've wandered into. It was the largest tree that I've ever seen before. It was a cherry blossom, the longest ever to live. It was significant in a way that I'm not, a mere Shadow. I sat down at a bench nearby and continued to speculate on the theory of everything.

Even though I want to keep on living, it felt pointless to live without a reason to do so. I lacked motivation ever since I've learned the truth. What's the point of having a purpose? Why do humans have it? How do they attain purpose and motivation in the first place? Where can I get it? I wouldn't think of suicide, but that feeling lies dormant in my hollow heart. Maybe it's not as hard as I think it is, if only I knew what triggers it though…

The blossom tree starts to shake, grabbing my attention. I got up to further inspect the cause of the tree shaking. Once I had looked up, I discovered the cause of it- a girl was hanging from the branches at almost the first starting point of the tree. It looked like she was climbing and lost her footing, and now the branch broke on her at its limit, sending her to a descent.

"AHH! Someone, help!" She screamed. Without warning, I found myself sprinting towards the falling girl in an effort to save her from a fall she could not survive unscathed, running up the tree bark and bouncing from there to catch her once I was in range. I flipped forward in midair and swiftly landed on the ground with the girl in my arms. I guess a perk of being a Shadow is that I have abnormal superhuman powers, comes in handy sometimes.

"Don't worry, I got you," I gasped. "Are you okay?" The girl slowly nodded as I gently let her down on the bench nearby that I was sitting at a while ago. She seems about my age with cherry blossom hair and sapphire eyes, she wore a strapless white shirt with an opening in her cleavage and a skirt that was pink and a bit long. Her shoes were pink flats, and her hand had a bracelet that seemed familiar to me.

She looks at me with sincerity. "I'm fine. Thanks for saving me."

"Well, I'm glad that I was around to save you, but you shouldn't be that reckless when you climb a tree for whatever reason… unless there was something up there that you wanted, right?" I said. "In that case, I'll take care of it." Immediately, I dashed straight up the tree and defied the laws of physics to search around the tree, and soon I came across a young white kitten that was clinging onto the branch. The kitten shot towards me into my arms on pure instinct; not questioning it, I quickly dropped from the tree and ran towards the girl to present her a kitten.

"Sky! Oh thank you so much!" She cried out as the kitten leaped into her arms now, purring with happiness.

"Er, it was nothing really," I shrugged. "Just doing what I felt was right, I guess… well, if you'll excuse me, I'll-"

"Hold on, aren't you Sora Mondaiji in Class 1-A?" The girl asked, stopping me in my tracks. "I thought you looked familiar."

"Wait… you… you know who I am?" I said.

"Yeah, you always sit in the back of the classroom near the window, not to mention you always have the highest marks on your exams all the time. If I recall, you just transferred this year, right?" She continues. "When you came, you never spoke to anyone at all, yet you managed to succeed in every course."

"… Yeah. Did you want something? I mean, I can't guarantee anything you might want from me, not that it'll help you…" I sighed. "And I never got your name, so…"

"That? I'm Rias Taichi," She introduced herself. "Thank you for helping me back there. And the thing I wanted to ask you is because I've noticed lots of things about you. Right now, you look depressed about something. Maybe you want to talk about it?"

"… I guess so." I sighed, sitting down next to her on the bench. "What do you want to know then?"

Rias makes her case. "To tell you the truth, Sora, there's actually one thing that I learned about you that basically explains your entire situation. And the reason you're depressed is because you learned the truth about yourself- that you are a Shadow."

I was taken aback at that last sentence. "What?! You knew?! How?"

"My parents are the head of a group called Shadow Human Operational Works or SHOW, for short, which specializes in discovering the truth behind what makes a Shadow into a human. I was surprised when I found out my older sister got your DNA somehow and your records during the Sagiri Fog; of course, I know you saved the earth from being erased by the fog, but I had doubts that you were a Shadow. Also, it's not every day you see someone defying the laws of physics like running up a tree without falling down," Rias explained. "You're the first one to be discovered."

"Oh, I see. That might explain that time then," I replied, still in depression. "Still, it doesn't change the fact that I know I'm not a normal human that I thought of to be, it was nothing more than a lie by Zexhinaze the whole time. After that, I don't even know my own self anymore."

"So that's why you're down… it's pretty understandable. Knowing that your life was a lie from the start is really painful, especially when you don't know what to do," Rias said sympathetic to me.

"It hurts so much… now I know that the motivation I had was all for nothing after finding out the truth. Why does the truth have to hurt, and why do the lies heal? It's all worthless! I'm nothing but a Shadow, a manifestation of the darkness of human hearts! Why do I have the will of a human when I'm supposed to be an ugly creature like the rest?! The only purpose of a Shadow is to represent humans at their unconscious worst and disappear when the time comes for it! I may be living, but what's my purpose then if that's all there is to it?! It's not fair!" I shouted.

It was then I burst into tears in front of Rias. I was too heartbroken to even face her at the moment. I feel pathetic. My heart is still null void. How am I supposed to fill the despair in my heart when it's nothing but a pack of lies?! Why do I even exist then- to be tortured for amusement? I can't even do anything about it at all…

"Your purpose is the same as when you first had it, right? Wasn't that to live out your life the same way as other humans?" Rias asked; I had calmed down a little bit, tears still rolling down my cheeks.

"… y-yeah, it was. But I don't see the point of keeping that same purpose if I'm not meant to anymore. I can't even understand what they meant to fill my own heart with purpose… from what I understand, purpose is a means of willpower to achieve, a reason to go on. How can a heartless being like me have a personal reason to exist anyways? What do I have to fight for?" I moaned.

Rias gazed at me with sympathetic eyes before she decides to embrace me with a hug in the same fashion as Kira hugged me, rubbing my hair and holding me against her breasts, making me blush; she lets me go afterwards. "What was that for? You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I did it because I wanted to help you," Rias gently grasped my hand. "Just think about it. You had a reason to do everything you did not just because of the situation, but because you cared a lot to spring into action. If it wasn't for you, there would be no guarantee of our survival, even though you were supposed to go against that. You're a Shadow, that's true, but are you going to let that be an excuse as to why you lost your will to go on?"

"I guess that's true, but…" I started to say, but Rias shushes me with her finger on my lips.

"Sora, you're more special than what fate makes you. It may seem that our lives were written out by someone than ourselves, but it's your choice whether you wanna change that or not. Just think about what you've done so far because you had a purpose that drove you to do spectacular things. It's true you can't change who you are completely, but it never hurts to try, does it?" Rias stated.

"You're right, but is it really okay for someone like me to keep on living? I mean, I can't become someone I'm not, you know, even if I really wanted to," I replied unsure. "I'll just be rejected by people that fears my own kind anyways."

"Hey, it doesn't matter what you are or who you are, does it?" Rias reasoned with me. "The world says it's impossible because it's not common sense, but that's where they're wrong. A mermaid can become human. A puffball can slay eldritch abominations. Heck, a robot can believe in God if they wanted to and serve him as a robot. It's all because they were inspired to cross the impossible barriers dividing many; that was their purpose. You see? Even if you are a Shadow, you can still have a purpose in life, because it's the reason why you continue to go on living no matter how much people try to dissuade you from achieving your goal."

"You're saying that I shouldn't let the hard truth knock me down, but rather to accept it and have it be a stepping stool to keep pushing forward?" I sniffed a little, understanding her words.

"That's right. You may be a Shadow, but deep down, you are a human being to me. You see, the reason why I research Shadows is because I knew that there's some good in them. My grandfather always told me that Shadows are creatures who are lost in the darkness; they are just like humans who needs someone to take their hand and guide them on the right path. I knew that if I ran into a Shadow like you that lost its purpose after finding out its existence, I wanna be there to help them feel better about themselves and help them keep going forward, no matter what," Rias smiled.

"My grandfather inspired me to do this, and that is my own purpose. Of course, you won't find it all in one day, but as long as you never give in to despair and hold on to the truth, you'll find what you're looking for- your own purpose in living. And I think that you're very special to me, Sora."

My tears suddenly dried up. I felt a spark ignite inside me. And after some thought, I realize that she was right. I've been running away this entire time because I couldn't handle the painful truth. My original purpose was the same, but now I need that to give me a boost to find another one.

"You really mean it?" I asked, and Rias nodded. "Well, thanks, and you're also right. I thought it was pointless for me to keep on living after learning the truth, but that's because I've been running this whole time. I guess if I want a start in that, my purpose would be to keep searching for the truth until I'm satisfied; finish what I started, but that will take a while to do. I'll start small then."

I smiled for the first time out of my own will. "I'd like to thank you, Rias. I really needed that; you're like a friend I never knew I had." My heart feels less heavy now. I feel a faint bond form between us. I suddenly hear Kira and Igor's voice ring in my head…

"_It seems you have managed to seal a part of your empty heart, Sora. One of the ways to achieve purpose is by forming bonds through such touching moments with another person such as Rias here, who knows that you're a Shadow. She wanted to help you because she was inspired by her grandfather to save Shadows such as yourself and give them hope. So never sever that bond with her, for bonds are crucially important to attain your own purpose in your quest for the answer. As you forge more bonds, your heart will be filled gradually when you take the time to listen and understand to each of their problems they may have. Only then will your worries be quenched and drowned. You are quite an impressive guest, Sora. I can't wait to see where your quest takes you," Igor said._

"_Just as Rias said, you're very special in a way no one would ever imagine, and I also think you're more than that too. A Shadow you may be, but you're also sweet little boy on the inside. How you fill your heart is entirely up to you. If you need us, you can come anytime with the Velvet Key. I'll be happy to tend to your every request, no matter what kind it is you ask. I wish you well on your quest. Until then, take care, Sora." Kira replied._

Rias looked at me in a strange way, but it seems she might've known what's up. "Don't worry, Sora. If it's okay with you, do you… wanna be friends? You look like you could use one; after all, that's what friends are for."

"Really? I'd love to," I smiled. "I hope I won't be a bother to you as I still have a lot to learn about myself."

"If it makes you feel any better, I just found out today that you're not the only human Shadow around! There's actually more Shadows that are human just like you. Maybe we can start by finding one and helping them. What do you say?" Rias stated.

"Okay. I think that could be my first goal for my purpose," I replied. With that, Rias got up at the same time as I did, and she gently grabbed my hand as she starts to lead me out of the park with her kitty on her head.

"Then let me introduce you to my family! I'm sure you'll like them!" She laughed, and I did the same awkwardly. I was filled with emotions that I had lost after my depression, and I could feel my heart becoming occupied slowly like coins dropping in a well.

I had no purpose at first, but Rias here taught me to always keep searching for the answers to my own personal questions, even if it is the hard truth. Anyone can do that- all you have to do is to find what truly inspires you to get where you are right now or in the near future. Even a Shadow like me can do that. And that is how it all started… my life was going to change for good and for the better…

* * *

(Kira to You)

My, Sora is one interesting guest, wouldn't you agree? The poor boy has suffered through a lot after finding out his true identity. A monster he is, but deep down, he is a sweet and caring individual who wants the way to the truth he wants answered, and now he's going to continue forward to fill the void in his heart with his new friend.

So, what do you plan to do about your own resolve? Are you just like Sora, stuck in a similar situation that has left you devoid and in despair? Or have you never gave it that much thought before in your life? Well, it's okay to not know, but one day, you will have to search for the answers yourself in life and find out your own personal inspiration that'll be your guide in the future. Whatever happens, do not give in to despair. Keep searching for the truth that you wish to attain, and all will become clear to you.

Because the truth will guide you beyond the fog that clouds your vision. Well then, give it some thought- no pressure. With that, take care, everyone.

Just wait and see where the truth will guide you…

Beyond the Fog.


End file.
